Melissa McCarthy has become a household name, between unforgettable roles in Bridesmaids, The Little Mermaid, and Only Murders in the Building. Across television and film, the comedic actress has predictably amassed a high net worth, along with a Primetime Emmy, several People’s Choice Awards, and BAFTA and Academy Award nominations.
In a 2012 interview with Good Housekeeping, the Spy star, 54, revealed her surprisingly simple secret of success in the entertainment industry. “There’s a bit of a kook in here,” she told the outlet, while pointing to herself. “And I picked a career at which you have to be a bit crazy to think you can make a living. The lunacy is, I get to; that doesn’t ever escape me.”
Learn more about Melissa’s incredible career and accomplishments below.
When Did Melissa McCarthy Start Acting?
According to her IMDb profile, McCarthy began her career as a stand-up and improv comedian in New York. Per Wikipedia, in the mid 1990s, she made her TV debut in an episode of NBC sitcom Jenny, opposite her famous cousin, Jenny McCarthy. Two years later, in 1999, the actress appeared in her film debut in a small roll in Go. In 2000, things kicked into high gear for the talented comedienne. She racked up roles in Charlie’s Angels, Disney’s The Kid, and The Life of David Gale, among others. She also cemented her status as a queen of TV, appearing as Sooki St. James in the WB’s Gilmore Girls.
The following decade, she appeared as a lead in sitcom Mike & Molly on CBS. By 2012, she’d come into her own as a major star in 2011’s Bridesmaids, opposite Rose Byrne, Kirsten Wiig, and Maya Rudolph among others. Her uninhibited performance in the raucous comedy earned her BAFTA, SAG, and Critics’ Choice nominations, as well as a coveted Academy Award nomination.
In 2015, after several more noteworthy roles, the comedic icon received the ultimate mark of success in the industry — a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
What Is Melissa McCarthy’s Net Worth?
Big laughs can add up to major paydays. According to Parade, McCarthy has earned herself a net worth of $90 million, as of 2024. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she reached her peak earning potential as an entertainer in 2015, garnering a whopping $33 million. She was still going strong between 2019 and 2020, reportedly making $25 million.
The actress claims she’ll never slow down. “I know somewhere in there, I’m incredibly tired, but I just keep going,” she told Good Housekeeping of her life as a mom and entertainer. “I’m afraid that if I stop, I’ll just disintegrate.”
How Does Melissa McCarthy Earn Her Money?
McCarthy primarily earns her financial standing through acting, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Between 2017 and 2018, the actress first became one of the 10 highest paid actresses in the world, earning a cool $12 million that would balloon to $33 million by 2015. McCarthy and her spouse Ben Falcone founded One Day Productions in 2013, and the company has since produced The Happytime Murders, Life of the Party, Thunderforce, TV series Nobodies, and The Boss, among others. Many of the films produced by the company star McCarthy in the lead.
Celebrity Net Worth reports that McCarthy has dabbled in real estate, as well. She and her husband own a home purchased for $2.4 million in Los Angeles’ Valley Village, as well as two Toluca Lake properties. A custom-built estate there reportedly cost them $3.5 million in 2012, while the other property, purchased in 2009, reportedly cost $780,000.
Is Melissa McCarthy Married?
As mentioned above, Melissa is married to fellow actor and filmmaker Ben Falcone. According to PEOPLE, the couple married in 2005 and share two children, daughters Vivian,17, and Georgette, 14.